LANSING – A leading Pennsylvania transportation official came to Lansing to speak to local road officials in Michigan about how his state passed a combination of gas tax and fee increases to raise $2.3 billion for roads and encourage those in Michigan that the task, while difficult, can be done.

Michigan and Pennsylvania share several traits when it comes to roads. Both have harsh freeze-thaw cycles. Both historically have underfunded their needs. Both, prior to Pennsylvania’s action in November, had last increased gasoline taxes in 1997. Both states have Republican governors and Republican legislative majorities.

But there are a couple of notable differences in how Governor Rick Snyder and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett have gone about the issue.

In Pennsylvania, about 90 percent of the new revenue came from restructuring how the state taxes gasoline with the rest coming from increases vehicle registration and driver’s license fees. And in Pennsylvania, officials put together a plan of specific projects that would be undertaken if the Legislature approved the funding.

Snyder’s last proposal to raise $1.2 billion in revenue was split roughly in half between restructuring the gasoline tax and increasing annual vehicle registration fees by an average of $120 per vehicle. And the Snyder administration has resisted laying out a list of projects that would result if the Legislature approves the funding.

Bradley Mallory, executive deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, told reporters at a news conference prior to speaking to the County Road Association of Michigan that Pennsylvania set up a website laying out the projects the state planned for the next decade if the Legislature approved the new revenue.

“The Legislature had a pretty fair idea of what we’re buying,” he said.

Top Snyder aide Bill Rustem, appearing with Mallory, said the administration is “looking at every option” when asked if it was now willing to declare publicly what road projects would occur if the Legislature approves new revenue for Michigan.

But Rustem also cautioned the $1.3 billion in new revenue is to address maintenance needs.

“This governor’s not about building a whole lot of new roads in Michigan,” he said. “That’s not going to happen.”

Mallory cautioned at the opening of the news conference that he was not in the state to suggest Pennsylvania found some magic formula to raise revenue for roads. In fact, he sounded similar to Snyder in discussing the need to be persistent with the Legislature on the need and the facts.

“We just kept working through the facts with them, showing them the alternatives,” he said.

So far, the public has not reacted negatively to the tax and fee increases. In fact, the natural ups and downs of gasoline prices mean that Pennsylvania’s prices remain stable relative to the national average, Mallory said.

As for Snyder’s proposal, at this point, the governor is interested in what will raise $1.3 billion that can get enough votes to pass the House and Senate, Rustem said. The details are up for negotiation.

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